Frontier Airlines Extra Legroom Seat Review

My Frontier Airlines extra legroom seat review shows how nice Frontier can be, if you go in with reasonable expectations. Frontier Airlines has been rapidly expanding (and occasionally contracting) from a niche low cost carrier to a major player. They have started moving towards a more hybrid model (much like Spirit), but are still a mainly ultra low cost carrier. The airline offers competitive fares and affordable upgrades to extra legroom seats. For a red-eye flight from San Juan, PR, to Philadelphia, an extra legroom seat with no frills is more than enough. 

Arrival at San Juan

After spending a few days with my family, I had to return back to Philadelphia. I booked a flight on Frontier Airlines that departed San Juan in the wee hours of the morning and landed around the same time as the sunrise. The flight had a base cost of $49, with extra legroom seats adding another $45 to the total cost. 

San Juan airport is usually bustling with late night departures. JetBlue and Frontier have a number of flights departing in the early morning. During the winter season, United also has a number of early morning departures. Check-in for Frontier was busier than I expected, with people checking in bags. The TSA Precheck lane was empty, but all Precheck passengers were required to go through the main security line since the designated security screener was not on duty. 

Boarding

I am usually amazed by the cultural and corporate dynamics involved in transportation (not just aviation, but also all public transportation). Initially, I expected there to be a rush at the gate whenever boarding was called, this is fairly common on flights out of SJU. Unlike on American, where Group 9 passengers try to (and succeed) board before Group 1, Frontier was diligently policing boarding groups. The Frontier gate agents also announced that catering options on the flight were limited and at a cost. 

On-Board

The aircraft felt new even though it was was almost three years old . The cabin was very clean and the seats were sleek. Although they were space saving slimline seats, they did not feel as flimsy or cheap as ones I have seen on Spirit and other Frontier aircraft. There was an empty reading pocket and a full-sized tray table. Legroom was ample and comfortable, comparable to what you’d find on Main Cabin Extra on American.

Cabin Comfort

The seat itself is pretty comfortable. Most seats in Frontier’s main cabin do not recline, however some extra legroom seats recline. You can recline your seat using a small lever under the seat, if the lever is there. Recline is more than what you get on any legacy carrier’s extra legroom seats and comparable to what you used to get on a long haul economy seat. I believe no one else was able to figure out how to make their seats recline on my flight. There are no dividers, and no bulkheads between the 1L/R doors and Row 1. 

Departure

The flight departed the gate on time, however we had a lengthy taxi as there was a weight and balance issue. After about 15 minutes idle next to the runway, we were cleared for take-off into the night. The climb to 37,000 feet was rather bumpy, however, the rest of the flight was smooth. 

In Flight Service

Since Frontier is a no-frills airline, the flight attendants only came down the aisle once with a very small cart offering drinks for sale. They did this very early on during the flight in the hopes of allowing passengers to sleep. The seat was comfortable enough to sleep in. That said, the flight attendants in the forward galley kept a very bright service light on throughout the flight. This was when the lack of bulkhead partition was most noticeable. It made it really difficult to sleep well. (Well, as well as you could sleep on a Frontier A321.) 

As the sun rose, I gave up on trying to sleep for the rest of the flight. It was a very cloudy morning over the Chesapeake Bay. We began our descent into Philadelphia 25 minutes before landing and the flight attendants prepared the cabin. We landed a few minutes early and we were at the gate on time. 

Conrado’s Thoughts

Frontier is a “you-get-what-you-pay-for” airline, and it did not disappoint. Going in with the right expectations can make flying Frontier (and Spirit!) a great choice. The low base fare plus the extra legroom upgrade was still less than half the price of an American Airlines economy ticket. Add the ideal (for me) timing and the flight was a no brainer. With a relatively comfortable seat, I wouldn’t mind flying them again if the price point is right. If the airline added a curtain in the galley to shield away the bright service light, it would be one of the best extra legroom seats I have flown.